Post:
You've been given the opportunity to participate in a new program here at Parkland.  You will be given three credit hours of independent study for spending the semester researching any topic you wish.  The only limitations are (1)you have to be able to delve into the topic in some depth in the course of one semester ("particle physics" would be too broad) and (2)you have to explain why the topic is worthy of college credit (bearing in mind that dissertations have been written on everything from baseball to Batman - if it has some impact on our culture, you can justify studying it).

Take a moment to ponder, then list three possible topics you'd be willing to research.  For each, briefly (4-5 sentences) explain (1)why you're interested in the topic, and (2)why you think it would be worth college credit for researching.

Response:
Respond to two of your group members' posts.  Ask questions about the topic.  Suggest avenues for research that they might pursue - directions they might go in, any sources you might know of.  If you were reading the paper, which topic would you prefer?